Fueling more speculation about Costco coming to Manatee County? Well, fuel.
The developers of The Landings at Heritage Harbour have filed for an extension on their project to bring 293,328 square feet of commercial retail space to East Manatee.
Included in the request is the addition of a gas station.
Although it has not been confirmed by Costco, there has been wide speculation that the company could anchor The Landings, located on the northeast corner of the intersection of Interstate 75 and State Road 64.
Earlier this year, Manatee County government granted LNR Heritage Harbour LLLP of Newport Beach, Calif., an extension until April 17 to get the project started.
That window has closed with little more than site preparation work being completed, and the developer is seeking more time.
“The final site plan expired after four years and they have to come back to us,” Jim Rigo, principal planner for the Manatee County Building Department, said Thursday.
“It should be a fairly simple review. There are a couple of modifications on the footprint,” Rigo said.
Among them, a motor vehicle fueling station.
“The amendment to the final site plan will be limited to a change in building footprints based on revised tenants, utilities, stormwater conveyance, landscaping, and parking orientation. A fueling facility was also added on the south end of the Retail A site,” project manager Dean L. Paquet of Kimlet Horn said in a letter to Manatee County Public Works.
Costco will neither confirm nor deny that it plans to open one of its warehouse stores at Heritage Harbour.
“Unfortunately, it is our company policy to not comment regarding future Costco warehouses until we are ready to share details about the new location (usually 2-3 months in advance),” is the stock response that Costco offers to queries about its plans.
Unrelated to The Landings at Heritage Harbour, but located catty corner from that project on the other side of the I-75-State Road 64 interchange, is a proposal to add two 100-room hotels and 6,500 square feet of retail space.
That project is proposed for 911 64th St. Court E., located to the south of Travelers Oasis Plaza, home to several lodging inns, including Quality Inn, Best Western Plus, Days Inn, Motel 6, Sunrise Inn and America’s Best Value Inn.
The Manatee County Building Department has until next week to complete its comments on the hotel request.
Before the project, dubbed I-75-SR 64 Development Inc./Wisdom Hotels and Retail Development, can proceed, the developer would need to win approval for zoning compatible for hotel and retail use, said Dorothy Rainey, the county’s principal planner for the project.
Robert V. Klopfer of Dover, Ohio, is identified by sunbiz.org, as principal of I-75-SR 64 Development Inc. The Bradenton Herald was unable to contact Klopfer for comment on Thursday.